1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tablet distribution apparatus for auxiliary trays, enabling a pharmacist to more easily and accurately distribute tablets in the auxiliary tray by patients, and a driving method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an automatic medicine packing machine is constructed in a structure in which a user manually distributes tablets in a main tray, the tablets distributed in the main tray are thrown into a tablet transfer and discharge unit at one time such that the tablets are packed in packing papers for each dose in a sealed state, and then the user manually distributes tablets in the empty main tray. Consequently, the medicine packing process is temporarily interrupted, while the user distributes the tablets in the empty main tray, with the result that the medicine packing process cannot be rapidly carried out.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem caused from the conventional automatic medicine packing machine, there has been proposed a ‘manual distribution tray of automatic medicine distributing machine’, which has been filed in the name of the applicant of the present application and granted (Korean Utility Model Registration No. 250064, registration date: Sep. 28, 2001). The structure of the proposed technology is illustrated in FIG. 7.
An automatic medicine distributing machine is constructed in a structure in which a main tray 200, which is operated by an insertion and separation switch (not shown), is mounted at the front of a machine body 100 of the automatic medicine distributing machine such that the main tray 200 is withdrawn from the machine body 100, and an auxiliary tray 300 is disposed above the main tray 200. The coupling between the main tray 200 and the auxiliary tray 300 is achieved by fitting insertion protrusions 301 formed at the bottom of the auxiliary tray 300 into insertion grooves 201 formed at the main tray 200.
However, this conventional technology has the following problems.
A pharmacist manually distributes tablets in the auxiliary tray while the pharmacist sorts the kinds of medicine and the number of medicine packs by patients, with the result that the incorrect distribution of the tablets frequently occurs.
As the pharmacist's incorrect distribution of the tablets by patients in the auxiliary tray frequently occurs, the distribution of the tablets is complicated, and time necessary for the distribution of the tablets increases.